On the trail of the Romans

This walk devoted to the discovery of Roman ruins will introduce you to two medieval Languedoc villages.The scrubland will bring you the fragrance of thyme and the landscapes will enchant photographers. Enjoy without moderation.
Note: To help with orientation, "tricky" sections have been highlighted with blue dotted markers.

Description

Start from the Saissines school car park.

(D)To the right of the Virgin Mary, take the Rue Saint Victor. At the end turn right and take the Avenue de Boisseron, walking past the festival hall, and after 100m turn left on the Mas de Boulle trail.
At the end(1) Take small path to the left that crosses the stream and leads you to a wide path that you take on the left. When you get to the stream, cross it using the stepping stones, then continue on the other side on the dirt path that passes between Camargue bull enclosures. When you have walked along the camp site, you get to a crossing,(2) Take a short trip to the left to see the Château du Pie Bouquet (where Jackie Kennedy stayed in 1973). Return to the crossing and continue straight on. Immediately after you get to end of the camp site fence, turn right on a small trail that leads to the edge of the Bénovie cliffs, which you walk to the left of. At the end, continue along edge of the river for 500m, then join the tarmac path to the right and which leads to the departmental road just before the Roman bridge(3)
Do not cross the road but walk along the bridge toward the bottom to go underneath. Cross the river on the invert, and walk back along the bridge, admiring the multi centennial cedar tree. Take the Rue des Ramparts, followed by Rue des Douves and the Rue Souvielle; and observe the remains of the ramparts.
When you have arrived at the departmental road (4) cross it to find the Rue de la Carrière. After visiting the quarry, go to the top of the stone steps and follow the wooden fence to the left to descend toward the Rue des Fangades. Take this road to the right and after the bend, take the Chemin des Manardes which leads to the Rue du Tout Blanc which you walk up on the left to get to the cemetery. At this junction, take subdivision road opposite, the Rue de Mas de Barre, and ignore the others. At the end of this path, you'll get to the National road (5) be careful when crossing take the Rue des Hauts de Boisseron opposite, and at the fork stay on the left. Just after the first house on the left, by the street lamp, turn left (2 blue dots) onto a barely visible path which leads to a small mound where silos have been dug into the stone (cylindrical holes which were used to store grain, very rare in France and dating back to the time of the Gauls).
After visiting these silos, return to the house. Walk on the left along the Rue des Lavandes, cross the entire subdivision of Rompudes and at the end of the tarmac road, take the gravel passage (metal post with a blue dot).
Upon existing, turn right, walk down the street and at the bottom turn left and walk up to take a barely visible small path (between a house to the left and a fence on the right) and at the end, which is closed off by large rocks, turn slightly to the right and then almost opposite take the trail which goes toward the scrubland. Follow the path marked by blue dots (take a look but don't go toward the overhanging cliffs, there are spectacular landslides!). See the mill-wheel carved from rock and left where it is. Follow the blue dots carefully to return to the Mas de Boulle(1). When you get to the path, turns left and follow it to the end. Walk alongside the vine to your right for about 100m. Cross the road to take the small tarmac road opposite (6) which will lead you to a junction. Turn right and down to the village to join the start-point car park in front of the schools.

Useful Information

Visorando and this author cannot be held responsible in the case of accidents or problems occuring on this walk.

During the walk or to do/see around

On this walk you'll discover two villages as well as a number of historic sites:
- Roman bridge from the 1st century AD
- fortified gate and ramparts,
- two châteaux,
- A site of Gallic silos (cylindrical holes dug man into the rock for storing cereals).

Nice walk mainly in the countryside but some areas though villages and new developments!!!!
Reasonably easy walking with a few small slopes. I have poor knees so sticks are helpful
Good example of the countryside in the Sommieres area

Other walks in the area

Located between Nimes and Montpellier, the village of Saussines has a quite exceptional heritage: a listed 12th century church, a castle, beautiful mansions, old washhouses.
The gorse scrubland is close by with six capitelles (1), a nature trail, a picnic area with tables and is close to a spring at the high point of the circuit, plus there is a beautiful view of the Pic Saint Loup and the Cevennes.
Important note: Ignore the numbers marked on the ground and stick to the VisoRando instructions instead

A hike mostly through forest, under the canopy of the Bois de Lens.
Throughout the walk you'll experience stunning scenery.
You'll also discover the Pielles Roman quarry, Macassargues caves (which were occupied by Neanderthal man), the pre-Roman sanctuary of Mabousquet (1st century BC), the Clunisian abbey of Jouffre (3rd century) and the Castellas de Montmirat (11th century).

Circuit on the eastern slopes of the Causse de l'Hortus visiting its sites of interest: Lafous mill, Embruscalles lake, Mas Neuf, the archaeological site of the Causse rock with a view of the entire Gard plains and the pre-Alps beyond, Mont Lozère, Aigoual and more...